October 13, 2021
“But you, Lord, are enthroned forever; your fame endures to all generations.” – Psalm 102:12
Psalm 102 begins with a pretty intense introduction: “A prayer of a suffering person who is weak and pours out his lament before the Lord.” And from there it only gets more serious, with phrases like, “I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drinks with tears.” This is clearly the prayer of someone in a very deep, very dark place. But part way through the psalm, the mood changes. Part way through the psalm the writer begins to praise God for his incredible works and sing about his powerful deliverance. What changed? The phrase that turns everything around in this psalm is, “But you, Lord, are enthroned forever.” When the psalmist recognizes that God has not changed and that the same loving Father who has rescued and provided in the past still sits on the throne today, he is strengthened to face whatever lies ahead.
Over the past 18 months everything has changed. Things that we never talked about have become not only part of our normal conversation but points of contention, fear, and stress. Words like mandates, masks, quarantine, vaccines, and of course, COVID-19 have forever changed the way we talk and the way we think. I’m sure many of us have cried out like the psalmist, “My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I wither away like grass.” But hear me clearly; God is still enthroned forever. Everything around us has changed and we seem to live in a completely different world now. But God is still enthroned forever. The very same God who has given his one and only Son so that we might be rescued from our sin, still holds the universe in his hand. He has not left you. He has not forsaken you. It may seem like everything in life has been turned upside down, but God is still enthroned forever.
Almighty, powerful, eternal, and loving God and Father! You are enthroned forever. Your arm is never too short to save. You will never forget your children or forsake your people. Comfort us and strengthen us for the battle today.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon
